18 Mar 2024

Enjoying the scenic landscape of Gisborne

Our The Best of New Zealand voyage was off to an early start, but we were rewarded again with perfect weather! Arriving at Gisborne, Eastwoodhill National Arboretum of NZ, home to 25,000 species of exotic and native trees, shrubs and climber plants, was next on our agenda.

We boarded the bus and drove through an astonishing landscape of hills, rivers and local farms. Along the way, we received information on what we were seeing and the history behind all of it.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by our guides and caretakers of the Arboretum. Departing on a guided walk, we learned about the history of the Arboretum and all the special plants and trees we saw, including some fascinating stories about how they got here and why.

After the walk, we were treated to home-baked snacks and Gisborne Oranges, of course, not to forget coffee and tea. Afterwards, we visited a craftsman on the Arboretum that does woodturning. He showed us his spectacular craftsmanship, his crafts and even let us give it a go!

We had one last activity to enjoy before returning to Heritage Adventurer. A mobile tour through the other part of the park where we had great fun and interesting interpretations from our guides.